Zero Waste Europe, Reloop, and TOMRA, with the contribution of  Eunomia Research & Consulting Eunomia, have published a study on reusable take-away packaging and its potential for significant greenhouse gas emission reductions compared to single-use alternatives.

The study examines various packaging types (cups, burger boxes, bowls, pizza boxes, sushi containers, etc.), highlighting emissions reduction potential with efficient return, washing and redistribution systems, with a view to 2030.

The study involved modelling to measure the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from reusable takeaway packaging compared to single-use ones.

The results indicate that reuse has potential to yield greater environmental benefits than recycling or discarding take-away packaging in Europe.

Europe and the world face unprecedented sustainability challenges, largely as a result of unsustainable consumption. Since similar consumption patterns are expected to continue, technological and efficiency gains are likely to be insufficient to keep environmental and climate pressures within sustainable limits.

A more circular economy in Europe has the potential to reduce environmental and climate pressures and impacts from our consumption, but will require reshaping our consumption and production systems. This report presents trends in European household consumption and its environmental and climate pressures, and explores conditions for and pathways to a transition towards more sustainable and circular consumption patterns in Europe.

New skills development is one of the conditions for moving towards the circular economy.

However, closing the materials cycle while eliminating waste according to repair, reuse and recycle principles requires specific strategies and processes.

First, it is imperative to understand the skills needed to design and subsequently implement these strategies and processes. Then, we need to develop these new skills, both within the education system and in the labour market.

The study reviews recent analyses in order to understand the green or circular skills of the future identified to date in sectoral and EU-wide research. It also examines EU initiatives on skills development for circularity.

With the EU striving to achieve circularity and climate neutrality by 2050, this publication explores the Netherlands' target of reducing primary raw material consumption by 50% by 2030. This is all the more impressive given that the current global circularity rate is 7.2%.

The brochure showcases over 20 best practices from the Netherlands, with an emphasis on the transformative applications of chemical recycling. The toolboxes and strategic approaches presented serve as a pragmatic blueprint for implementing effective and sustainable chemical recycling initiatives.

This white paper examines China's transition to a circular economy.

A new plan for China’s circular economy (CE) was set out in the 14th Five-Year Plan 2021-2025. Circular Innovation Lab's previous paper on China’s Circular Economy Policies: Review and Reflection argued that there has been significant improvement in environmental aspects in China. It also identified challenges in the implementation of past five-year plans, such as coordination challenges, uneven and unsustainable development, and lack of research.

This paper builds on those findings to address the way forward in China's CE transition, including challenges and opportunities.

More than 140 million SMEs make up a significant part of China's economy and technological innovation.

However, they are also responsible for significant environmental issues, with most environmental regulation violations in China being incurred by SMEs. This paper investigates how SMEs can help China transition to a circular economy by harnessing their potential for technology innovation and flexibility in adopting circular practices. By looking into the development characteristics of Chinese SMEs, it highlights the implications for SME-related policies and management and emphasises the need for collaboration between businesses, NGOs and individuals.

By tapping into their strengths, SMEs can play a vital role in delivering the successful transition to a circular economy in China.

The circular economy was introduced in China’s policies in 2002 and has evolved into a national strategy and a fundamental pillar of the economy. However, while the efforts so far are worth celebrating, issues such as coordination challenges, uneven development, unsustainable success, and a lack of research are still undermining China's circular development.

This paper builds a primary framework by reviewing the development of China's circular economy policy. The paper consists of a policy review, the implementation and the corresponding outcome, challenge identification, framework establishment and application.

This paper - part of the A Circular Economy Vision series - follows one of Circular Innovation Lab's previous analyses of the potential effects of the European Critical Raw Materials Regulation (ECRMR) on developing economies.

It focuses on the EU’s domestic critical raw material (CRM) markets, revealing how the current hyperfocus of the policy on extraction, processing and recycling is not applicable to all identified CRMs. By analysing the limits of the ECRMR as it stands, the paper argues that a supporting structure of circular economy legislation could promote a successful ECRMR for all CRMs, not just those that could benefit from recycling infrastructure.

The paper provides detailed policy recommendations for each CRM where data allow.

As the world transitions to green energy and greater technology use, critical raw materials (CRMs) are the new frontier of economic and political disputes.

The EU has recognised this threat to supply chains, passing the European Critical Raw Materials Regulation to help stabilise EU access to CRMs. Published in March 2023, the regulation seeks to improve EU extraction, processing and recycling capacity with minimal reliance on other states. However, the EU has limited sources of many CRMs, and so strategic projects in third countries will be utilised to ensure that EU demand is met.

This paper discusses the possible impact of this regulation on developing economies, exploring how they will be affected by strategic projects, shifting EU import demand, and circularity incentives.

Global biodiversity is being lost at an unprecedented rate, giving rise to a sixth mass extinction and constituting one of the core challenges of the triple planetary crisis. Biodiversity forms the foundation of life on Earth and its loss presents a systemic risk to future human survival. To reverse the biodiversity crisis, transformative systems-wide change is required.

This paper addresses an existing research gap by exploring whether the circular economy can play a role not only in halting biodiversity loss but also in regenerating it and thereby contributing to a nature-positive future. To unlock the regenerative potential of the circular economy, a coherent strategy is needed that provides incentives for all actors, notably policymakers and businesses.